The Curious Case of a Doctored 19th Century Photo of Ruins in Athens

Researchers, academics and those with tireless curiosity will know the thrill of chasing down the details of something mysterious or unexplained. In this tweet thread from 2017, Paul Cooper noticed a difference in a nearly 100-year-old photo that led him to uncover the real story behind a strange "appendage" on the top of the Temple of Athenian Zeus. What follows is the Twitter equivalent of an architectural thriller. What is it? Why were depictions of the temple altered? Mr. Cooper takes us on a rollercoaster 18-tweet journey that uncovers the mystery.

It's always interesting to see how ruins are used politically, & how they construct & reinforce ideas of identity. - Paul Cooper

h/t BoredPanda, DeMilked

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Cite: Becky Quintal. "The Curious Case of a Doctored 19th Century Photo of Ruins in Athens" 24 Sep 2018. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/902480/the-curious-case-of-a-doctored-19th-century-photo-of-ruins-in-athens> ISSN 0719-8884

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